Reborn in Crimson Flames
by weaver yk
Summary: She was a pyromaniac. She had always longed to touch flames. But never did she imagine that she would die in flames. To her surprise she was reborn into her favorite manga, into her favorite clan that specialized in fire techniques. Though, taking Sasuke's place in the universe was probably not going to end pretty. Oh well- she'll just have to wing it.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Death had been quick.

Despite having died young, Akari did not regret a thing, never mind the way she died.

She was a pyromaniac. She loved fire, its warmth, its destructiveness, its blinding color that ranged from blue to ruby red, its flickering transient beauty, and its roaring power. That being said, she hadn't been crazy, she never set buildings on fire (though she did carry around matches and lighters wherever she went), nor did she ever burn herself on purpose.

She had always longed to touch it though, to be able to touch fire and not get burned. It was for this longing that she had read mangas. Characters like Okumura Rin, Fire Fist Ace, the Uchihas, and KHR characters that could create and touch them had made her envious.

It was ironic then, that a fire-loving maniac would die in a fire.

She had no idea how, but while she had been sleeping, the house had somehow caught on fire. By the time that she'd gotten up, it had been far too late. She was trapped by the very existence that she loved the most.

She had died smiling, happy that in her final moments she would be enveloped by her beloved fire. Her cause of death hadn't been the fire though. The ceiling had collapsed on her, killing her instantly.

* * *

Akari floated in total darkness. For days, it seemed, she did nothing but float around blissfully. Her life, _or afterlife_, changed however, the day (or night, if days even existed in the afterlife) she laid her eyes on those flames.

A fire, a black and cold fire, appeared out of nowhere. Its flames were difficult to discern from the unending darkness, but for some reason, Akari was able to feel its existence.

Curious, she extended a finger and tentatively brushed it against the flicker flame. To her surprise however, it didn't burn. In fact, it was cold, so cold that it was like freezing water.

Feeling braver, Akari stuck her whole hand in, shocked when the freezing temperature of the flame rose, and the fire suddenly flickered to ruby red.

The fire grew and grew, until it swallowed her whole.

In the ruby flames, Akari could feel life again. Emotions such as excitement and giddiness returned as the flames glowed brighter and brighter.

Akari's form began to dwindle away, becoming one with the flames itself, and as her body faded away little by little, so had her consciousness.

The flames ate away at Akari, becoming larger and brighter as it did so, until, after a final crackle from the flames, that fire too disappeared from the void, to spark life in another body.

* * *

***Itachi's POV***

His mother had finally gone into labor. Itachi clenched his hands into fists as his mother's screams rang in the air.

He glanced to his right where his father stood stoically. To any others, his father would have seemed cold and unfeeling, but Itachi knew better. With every scream his father's brows furrowed further. Itachi's sharp eyes could pick up the minute details that gave away his father's distress such as his father's slightly twitching fingers and his unusually stiff posture.

The 5 year old son and father stood rigid in front of a closed door, the two becoming more and more tense with time, when suddenly the woman's screaming was replaced by a much younger, much energetic wails of a baby.

Unable to wait any longer, Itachi rushed to open the door when a nurse opened the door before him, proclaiming the birth of a healthy baby girl.

Itachi gulped before going inside to see his much disheveled looking mother on the bed cooing over a baby lain by her side.

His mother looked back at the two of them and smiled radiantly, tired but happier than Itachi had ever seen her before.

"Fugaku, Itachi, come meet your daughter and little sister." His mother gently said.

Itachi took a closer look at the now sleeping baby.

The baby, no, his little sister, had a fluffly tuft of dark hair, a common trait of the Uchihas.

"Here," to Itachi's horror his mother slowly placed his sister in his arms, "try holding your baby sister." His mother's eyes sparkled with amusement as she saw her usually stoic on panicking.

Itachi stood awkwardly with his sister in his arms. She had awakened during the transit and was now sniffling, her lips trembling as she prepared to cry.

Nervous, Itachi rocked her while humming, trying to settle her down before the waterworks started. Slowly, his sister quieted down, her eyes not moving from Itachi's face.

Looking into those soulful dark eyes, Itachi instantly melted inside, his sister was the most adorable baby he had ever seen!

His parents watched their two children from the side, smiling softly as they watched their son bonding with their daughter.

After a long silence, Itachi spoke, "what is her name?"

His father coughed once, "we were planning on naming our child Sasuke if she had been born a boy, but I suppose we'll have to think of another one."

His mother grinned, "why don't _you_ name her Itachi?"

Itachi stiffened, now having to find the perfect name for his adorable sister. It was a great responsibility.

His eyes strayed to his surroundings, trying to find an inspiration for his sister's name.

After a while, his eyes looked to the full moon outside. It was a beautiful night, the moonlight glinting off the windows, making his sister's eyes shimmer like mysterious black pearls.

He experimented with the word "tsuki", rolling the name in his head.

"Tsukuyo." He spoke the name out loud, and somehow, he felt it fitting, it was perfect.

"Her name will be Tsukuyo. Uchiha Tsukuyo."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Tsukuyo had been a quiet baby, crying mostly when she was hungry or needed a nappy change, rarely crying otherwise. Her dark eyes were unusually observant and full of curiosity; she was always reaching for things that entered her line of sight. Fugaku and Mikoto claimed that she was going to be as much a prodigy as Itachi, and were already planning out her training and future prospects. Itachi on the other hand, was proud, yes, but a slight discomfort and distaste towards his parents began to bloom in his mind. It confused him at first, he had never felt the slightest bit of resentment towards his parents before, even when Fugaku pushed him harder and put him through the harshest of training, he just accepted it all as how things were. He was a once in a life time prodigy, so it was to be expected that he would be pushed all the harder. But when he imagined his baby sister going through the same training, he felt his heart twist and his hands clenched tightly enough to break his chopsticks once during dinner. He kept quiet but spent every chance he could with his little sister.

He still remembered the terrifying night when the Kyuubi had rampaged in Konoha. It was then that he swore the oath.

_Tsukuyo shivered as the chakra of the Kyuubi reached all the way into the compound. She choked as her weak body couldn't fend off the smothering chakra. It was so hateful and evil that she felt like her veins burned every time she breathed in the air. So she did the only thing that she could do, which was to cry like the baby she was._

_Tsukuyo wailed and wailed until her brother ran into the room to take her into his arms._

_"Shiii shiiii don't cry tsuki-chan you're safe now." Itachi rocked her gently._

_Tsukuyo desperately focused all of her attention to Itachi's chakra, trying to filter out the malignant chakra in the air. His chakra was like a calm lake, cool and soothing. She felt her panic slowly dissipate as she closed her ears and senses to all but her brother and that soothingly calm voice of his._

_Her wails gradually reduced to sniffles as she snuggled into his chest. A rare smile formed on Itachi's face as he looked down to the sight of his sister's cute cuddling._

_Then, as quickly as the smile formed, it disappeared into a frown._

_Tsukuyo looked so fragile in his arms, Itachi felt a wave of fear drown him inside as he realized not for the first time, what being an Uchiha shinobi would mean, how much danger his precious sister would get into in the future._

_His eyes filled with determination._

_She needed him, and Itachi knew that no matter what happened from then on, he would protect her always. He'd felt a special bond forming between himself and Tsukuyo ever since the day she was born. He'd become hers the moment he looked into those deep onyx eyes, she was his anchor, his most precious person, and he would do anything for her. Anything._

_"I will protect you forever Tsukuyo." Itachi whispered._

He'd realized then that there was nothing in this world that he was unwilling to do for his imouto. That flash of insight should have scared him; there literally were nothing that he would not do if he thought that it was for his sister's own good. But he felt nothing but a calm determination. Nothing would keep her from him, nothing would harm her while he lived, nothing would stop him in his path to protect his one and only sibling.

* * *

Tsukuyo was 8 and it had been 2 years since she entered the Konoha Ninja Academy.

It had been nerve wrecking at first, but she'd quickly established herself as the top of the class in mere days. With the prior training sessions from her brother, there was no way that she was going to be second to anyone her age.

Yet, despite her placement as the top student, her father never seemed to be satisfied with her. Tsukuyo worked herself to the ground but she could never meet the same milestones Itachi had set. After all, compared to her Nii-sama she was not outstanding at all. It was disheartening, but she was happy so long as her brother was there for her.

To Tsukuyo the center of her world was Itachi nii-sama. She loved her mother and father too of course, but they didn't know her like her brother did. Itachi knew everything there was to her, from her favorite food (tomatoes) to her slight inferiority complex. Itachi was the one who comforted her when she felt down from her father's criticisms of her development compared to that of Itachi's.

Itachi was her anchor. He was her home. She never felt safer anywhere else in the world than in her brother's arms.

Every day was a routine. She woke up, trained lightly, ate breakfast with her family, went to the Academy, trashed her peers in their spars, pestered her brother for more training tips, did her homework, and tucked herself into bed. She'd thought that until she became Genin, her life would remain on this track.

But then the fateful night changed her life forever.

...

One night, after a long day of training, Tsukuyo returned to find the Uchiha compound completely silent. It was strange but she ignored her instincts that were screaming at her to not go inside.

To her horrified disbelief, the streets were littered with the bodies of her clan. Everywhere she looked was a corpse bleeding out, staining the ground rusty red. She rushed home, she had to find her brother, her parents.

She slammed the doors open, only to find her nii-sama standing over the bodies of their parents.

"O-onii-sama?" Tsukuyo took a step forward. She faltered, then ran to his side to hug him tightly for comfort. To Tsukuyo, Itachi's presence was comforting, safe, it was a fact. Even with the blood dripping from his katana, she could never suspect her brother of killing their own family. To her it was impossible that her gentle and kind older brother would even think to harm her.

But then Itachi placed the blade on her neck. Tsukuyo blinked up at him in confusion.

"N-nii-sama?"

"Tsukuyo, you should not be so careless." His eyes were cold, he had never looked at her with such eyes.

"Nii-sama?" Her voice became plaintive, her head was ringing, her eyes watered, it wasn't possible. Itachi would never do this.

"I killed them. I killed mother and father, our entire clan." Itachi said monotonously.

_Crack._

Tsukuyo backed off slowly. Her body trembled as she took in his words. She shook her head in rejection. It wasn't possible. He was lying!

"It's no lie imouto." He stepped forward.

"W-why?" A tear fell from her eye.

Itachi stopped. His hands clenched and his mouth tightened for a fleeting moment that went unnoticed by Tsukuyo.

"To test my power."

"N-no. You're joking right nii-sama?" Her voice trembled. "Nii-sama?"

He flashed to her side and grabbed her throat.

His eyes changed.

Flashes of blood. The clan members unable to even scream as he swiftly cut their throat. The elderly,the young, the children, the parents. Their mother and father kneeling, Itachi raised his katana.

_Crack._

Someone was screaming. A terrible cry, so horrible that Tsukuyo wanted it to stop. She was the one screaming.

"No." Her voice was hoarse from screaming. "Noooo!"

"You are still weak. You are not worthy to be killed by my hands, not yet." His eyes stared deeply into her eyes. "You must become stronger."

He released her. Tsukuyo stumbled and fell on her backside, unable to move or utter a sound.

"Hate me imouto, desire revenge, only then will you gain more power." He walked away.

Tsukuyo remained on the floor for some time, unable to keep her eyes off his retreating back. Itachi was leaving. Leaving her. Despite all his claims, the corpses and the memories he had transplanted into her head, she could not believe his words. Something in her subconscious was telling her that Itachi was lying.

She shivered, slowly getting to her feet.

She ran, to Itachi. She didn't know what she was doing. Was she chasing after to get revenge? Was she going to beg him not to leave her? What was she doing?

"Itachi!"

He turned and the last thing that she saw was a sharingan… and his tortured expression.

_'He was crying.'_

_Craaack. *Shatter*_

_Akari woke up._


End file.
